Contracts in progress

City and diocese face agreement after church closes

The last service was held in the Lerchenfeld church at the end of August 2023. It has not been used since then.(Bild: C.Stadler/Bwag)

Parish and green space in Krems' Lerchenfeld district to be preserved for residents. Takeover contract to be drawn up by fall.

Last summer, the last service was celebrated in the parish church of St. Severin in the Lerchenfeld district of Krems - since then, the listed church has no longer been used. In 2023, it was merged with the Krems parish of St. Paul in der Mitterau - the reason for this was the declining number of worshippers. The Catholic Church finally put the site up for sale. A specially founded citizens' initiative demanded the preservation of the parish church including gardens and park - the "Krone" reported. Since then, the city of Krems has been negotiating with the diocese of St. Pölten to purchase the parish grounds.

Acquisition agreement by fall 
An agreement is now close to being reached, the city announced. "The diocese has accepted the offer and the first draft contracts are to be drawn up by the beginning of September," says Mayor Peter Molnar (SPÖ). The parish and green space around the church are to be preserved and attractively designed, and new uses are also to be created. "We can also acquire a smaller area for further urban development," says Molnar. Most of the investments have already been provided for in the 2024 budget, emphasizes the head of the town. He intends to present the finalized contracts to the Krems municipal council in October at the latest. 

Deputy Mayor Florian Kamleitner (ÖVP) fought together with the initiative to preserve the church: "My position has been known for a long time, so I am delighted that the city and diocese have come to an agreement in the interests of the citizens of Landersdorf and Lerchenfeld."